biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第4部分

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〃Homer's　Iliad〃；　Stamboul　…　and　he　recounts　the　murderous　　services　rendered　by　the　Golden　Horn　to　the　Assassin　whose　SERAIL；　　palace；　council　chamber；　it　washes；　Cairo　…　but　the　Plague　shuts　　out　all　other　thoughts；　Jerusalem　…　but　Pilgrims　have　vulgarized　　the　Holy　Sepulchre　into　a　Bartholomew　Fair。　　He　gives　us　　everywhere；　not　history；　antiquities；　geography；　description；　　statistics；　but　only　KINGLAKE；　only　his　own　sensations；　thoughts；　　experiences。　　We　are　told　not　what　the　desert　looks　like；　but　what　　journeying　in　the　desert　feels　like。　　From　morn　till　eve　you　sit　　aloft　upon　your　voyaging　camel；　the　risen　sun；　still　lenient　on　　your　left；　mounts　vertical　and　dominant；　you　shroud　head　and　face　　in　silk；　your　skin　glows；　shoulders　ache；　Arabs　moan；　and　still　　moves　on　the　sighing　camel　with　his　disjointed　awkward　dual　swing；　　till　the　sun　once　more　descending　touches　you　on　the　right；　your　　veil　is　thrown　aside；　your　tent　is　pitched；　books；　maps；　cloaks；　　toilet　luxuries；　litter　your　spread…out　rugs；　you　feast　on　　scorching　toast　and　〃fragrant〃　（10）　tea；　sleep　sound　and　long；　then　　again　the　tent　is　drawn；　the　comforts　packed；　civilization　retires　　from　the　spot　she　had　for　a　single　night　annexed；　and　the　Genius　of　　the　Desert　stalks　in。

Herein；　in　these　subjective　chatty　confidences；　is　part　of　the　　spell　he　lays　upon　us：　while　we　read　we　are　IN　the　East：　other　　books；　as　Warburton　says；　tell　us　ABOUT　the　East；　this　is　the　East　　itself。　　And　yet　in　his　company　we　are　always　ENGLISHMEN　in　the　　East：　behind　Servian；　Egyptian；　Syrian；　desert　realities；　is　a　　background　of　English　scenery；　faint　and　unobtrusive　yet　persistent　　and　horizoning。　　In　the　Danubian　forest　we　talk　of　past　school…　days。　　The　Balkan　plain　suggests　an　English　park；　its　trees　planted　　as　if　to　shut　out　〃some　infernal　fellow　creature　in　the　shape　of　a　　new…made　squire〃；　Jordan　recalls　the　Thames；　the　Galilean　Lake；　　Windermere；　the　Via　Dolorosa；　Bond　Street；　the　fresh　toast　of　the　　desert　bivouac；　an　Eton　breakfast；　the　hungry　questing　jackals　are　　the　place…hunters　of　Bridgewater　and　Taunton；　the　Damascus　gardens；　　a　neglected　English　manor　from　which　the　〃family〃　has　been　long　　abroad；　in　the　fierce；　dry　desert　air　are　heard　the　〃Marlen〃　bells　　of　home；　calling　to　morning　prayer　the　prim　congregation　in　far…off　　St。　Mary's　parish。　　And　a　not　less　potent　factor　in　the　charm　is　　the　magician's　self　who　wields　it；　shown　through　each　passing　　environment　of　the　narrative；　the　shy；　haughty；　imperious　Solitary；　　〃a　sort　of　Byron　in　the　desert；〃　of　cultured　mind　and　eloquent　　speech；　headstrong　and　not　always　amiable；　hiding　sentiment　with　　cynicism；　yet　therefore　irresistible　all　the　more　when　he　　condescends　to　endear　himself　by　his　confidence。　　He　meets　the　　Plague　and　its　terrors　like　a　gentleman；　but　shows　us；　through　the　　vicarious　torments　of　the　cowering　Levantine　that　it　was　courage　　and　coolness；　not　insensibility；　which　bore　him　through　it。　　A　foe　　to　marriage；　compassionating　Carrigaholt　as　doomed　to　travel　　〃Vetturini…wise；〃　pitying　the　Dead　Sea　goatherd　for　his　ugly　wife；　　revelling　in　the　meek　surrender　of　the　three　young　men　whom　he　sees　　〃led　to　the　altar〃　in　Suez；　he　is　still　the　frank；　susceptible；　　gallant　bachelor；　observantly　and　critically　studious　of　female　　charms：　of　the　magnificent　yet　formidable　Smyrniotes；　eyes；　brow；　　nostrils；　throat；　sweetly　turned　lips；　alarming　in　their　latent　　capacity　for　fierceness；　pride；　passion；　power：　of　the　Moslem　women　　in　Nablous；　〃so　handsome　that　they　could　not　keep　up　their　　yashmaks：〃　of　Cypriote　witchery　in　hair；　shoulder…slope；　　tempestuous　fold　of　robe。　　He　opines　as　he　contemplates　the　plain；　　clumsy　Arab　wives　that　the　fine　things　we　feel　and　say　of　women　　apply　only　to　the　good…looking　and　the　graceful：　his　memory　wanders　　off　ever　and　again　to　the　muslin　sleeves　and　bodices　and　〃sweet　　chemisettes〃　in　distant　England。　　In　hands　sensual　and　vulgar　the　　allusions　might　have　been　coarse；　the　dilatings　unseemly；　but　the　　〃taste　which　is　the　feminine　of　genius；〃　the　self…respecting　　gentleman…like　instinct；　innocent　at　once　and　playful；　keeps　the　　voluptuary　out　of　sight；　teaches；　as　Imogen　taught　Iachimo；　〃the　　wide　difference　'twixt　amorous　and　villainous。〃　　Add　to　all　these　　elements　of　fascination　the　unbroken　luxuriance　of　style；　the　easy　　flow　of　casual　epigram　or　negligent　simile；　…　Greek　holy　days　not　　kept　holy　but　〃kept　stupid〃；　the　mule　who　〃forgot　that　his　rider　　was　a　saint　and　remembered　that　he　was　a　tailor〃；　the　pilgrims　　〃transacting　their　salvation〃　at　the　Holy　Sepulchre；　the　　frightened；　wavering　guard　at　Satalieh；　not　shrinking　back　or　　running　away；　but　〃looking　as　if　the　pack　were　being　shuffled；〃　　each　man　desirous　to　change　places　with　his　neighbour；　the　white　　man's　unresisting　hand　〃passed　round　like　a　claret　jug〃　by　the　　hospitable　Arabs；　the　travellers　dripping　from　a　Balkan　storm　　compared　to　〃men　turned　back　by　the　Humane　Society　as　being　　incurably　drowned。〃　　Sometimes　he　breaks　into　a　canter；　as　in　the　　first　experience　of　a　Moslem　city；　the　rapturous　escape　from　　respectability　and　civilization；　the　apostrophe　to　the　Stamboul　　sea；　the　glimpse　of　the　Mysian　Olympus；　the　burial　of　the　poor　dead　　Greek；　the　Janus　view　of　Orient　and　Occident　from　the　Lebanon　　watershed；　the　pathetic　terror　of　Bedouins　and　camels　on　entering　a　　walled　city；　until；　once　more　in　the　saddle；　and　winding　through　　the　Taurus　defiles；　he　saddens　us　by　a　first　discordant　note；　the　　note　of　sorrow　that　the　entrancing　tale　is　at　an　end。

Old　times　return　to　me　as　I　handle　the　familiar　pages。　　To　the　　schoolboy　six　and　fifty　years　ago　arrives　from　home　a　birthday　　gift；　the　bright　green　volume；　with　its　showy　paintings　of　the　　impaled　robbers　and　the　Jordan　passage；　its　bulky　Tatar；　towering　　high　above　his　scraggy　steed；　impressed　in　shining　gold　upon　its　　cover。　　Read；　borrowed；　handed　round；　it　is　devoured　and　discussed　　with　fifth　form　critical　presumption；　the　adventurous　audacity　　arresting；　the　literary　charm　not　analyzed　but　felt；　the　vivid　　personality　of　the　old　Etonian　winged　with　public　school　　freemasonry。　　Scarcely　in　the　acquired　insight　of　all　the　　intervening　years　could　those　who　enjoyed　it　then　more　keenly　　appreciate　it　to…day。　　Transcendent　gift　of　genius！　to　gladden　　equally　with　selfsame　words　the　reluctant　inexperience　of　boyhood　　and　the　fastidious　judgment　of　maturity。　　Delightful　self…　accountant　reverence　of　author…craft！　which　wields　full　knowledge　　of　a　shaddock…tainted　world；　yet　presents　no　licence　to　the　　prurient　lad；　reveals　no　trail　to　the　suspicious　moralist。



CHAPTER　III　…　LITERARY　AND　PARLIAMENTARY　LIFE



KINGLAKE　returned　from　Algiers　in　1844　to　find　himself　famous　both　　in　the　literary　and　social　world；　for　his　book　had　gone　through　　three　editions　and　was　the　universal　theme。　　Lockhart　opened　to　him　　the　〃Quarterly。〃　　〃Who　is　Eothen？〃　wrote　Macvey　Napier；　editor　of　　the　〃Edinburgh；〃　to　Hayward：　〃I　know　he　is　a　lawyer　and　highly　　respectable；　but　I　should　like　to　know　a　little　more　of　his　　personal　history：　he　is　very　clever　but　very　peculiar。〃　　Thackeray；　　later　on；　expresses　affectionate　gratitude　for　his　presence　at　the　　〃Lectures　on　English　Humourists〃：…　〃it　goes　to　a　man's　heart　to　　find　amongst　his　friends　such　men　as　Kinglake　and　Venables；　　Higgins；　Rawlinson；　Carlyle；　Ashburton　and　Hallam；　Milman；　　Macaulay；　Wilberforce；　looking　on　kindly。〃　　He　dines　out　in　all　　directions；　himself　giving　dinners　at　Long's　Hotel。　　〃Did　you　ever　　meet　Kinglake　at　my　rooms？〃　writes　Monckton　Milnes　to　MacCarthy：　　〃he　has　had　immense　success。　　I　now　rather　wish　I　had　written　his　　book；　WHICH　I　COULD　HAVE　DONE　…　AT　LEAST　NEARLY。〃　　We　are　reminded　　of　Charles　Lamb　…　〃here's　Wordsworth　says　he　could　have　written　　Hamlet；　IF　HE　HAD　HAD　A　MIND。〃　　〃A　delightful　Voltairean　volume；〃　　Milnes　elsewhere　calls　it。

〃Eothen〃　was　reviewed　in　the　〃Quarterly〃　by　Eliot　Warburton。　　　〃Other　books；〃　he　says；　〃contain　facts　and　statistics　about　the　　East；　this　book　gives　the　East　itself　in　vital　actual　reality。　　Its　　style　is　conversational；　or　the　soliloquy　rather　of　a　man　　convincing　and　amusing　himself　as　he　proceeds；　without　reverence　　for　others'　faith；　or　lenity　towards　others'　prejudices。　　It　is　a　　real　book；　not　a　sham；　it　equals　Anastasius；　rivals　'Vathek；'　its　　terseness；　vigour；　bold　imagery；　recall　the　grand　style　of　Fuller　　and　of　South；　to　which　the　author　adds　a　spirit；　freshness；　　delicacy；　all　his　own。〃　　Kinglake；　in　turn；　reviewed　〃The　Crescent　　and　the　Cross〃　in　an　article　called　〃The　French　Lake。〃　　From　a　　cordial　notice　of　the　book　he　passes　to　a　history　of　French　　ambition　in　the　Levant。　　It　was　Bonaparte's　fixed　idea　to　become　an　　Oriental　conqueror　…　a　second　Alexander：　Egypt　in　his　grasp；　he　　would　pass　on　to　India。　　He　sought　alliance　against　the　English　　with　Tippoo　Saib；　and　spent　whole　days　stretched　upon　maps　of　Asia。　　　He　was　baffled；　first　at　Aboukir；　then　at　Acre；　but　the　partition　　of　Turkey　at　Tilsit　showed　that　he　had　not　abandoned　his　design。　　　To　have　refrained　from　seizing　Egypt　after　his　withdrawal　was　a　　political　blunder　on　the　part　of　England。

By　far　the　most　charming　of　Kinglake's　articles　was　a　paper　on　the　　〃Rights　of　Women；〃　in　the　〃Quarterly　Review〃　of　December；　1844。　　　Grouping　together　Monckton　Milnes's　〃Palm　Leaves；〃　Mrs。　Poole's　　〃Sketch　of　Egyptian　Harems；〃　Mrs。　Ellis's　〃Women　and　Wives　of　　England；〃　he　produced　a　playful；　lightly　touched；　yet　sincerely　　constructed　sketch　of　woman's　characteristics；　seductions；　　attainments；　the　extent　and　secret　of　her　fascination　and　her　　deeper　influence；　her　defects；　foibles；　misconceptions。　　He　was　　greatly　vexed　to　learn　that　his　criticism　of　〃Palm　Leaves〃　was　　considered　hostile；　and　begged　Warburton　to　explain。　　His　praise；　　he　said；　had　been　looked　upon　as　irony；　his　bantering　taken　to　　express　bitterness。　　Warburton　added　his　own　conviction　that　the　　notice　was　tributary　to　Milnes's　fame；　and　Milnes　accepted　the　　explanation。　　But　the　chief　interest　of　this　paper　lies　in　the　　beautiful　passage　which　ends　it。　　〃The　world　must　go　on　its　own　　way；　for　all　that　we　can　say　against　it。　　Beauty；　though　it　beams　　over　the　organization　of　a　doll；　will　have　its　hour　of　empire；　the　　most　to